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Google Unveils 1st Phone Chip, Giving Pixel ‘Most Layers Of Security’ In Market
By Mikelle Leow, 03 Aug 2021
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Google is undeniably a tech powerhouse, and having to rely on others would bog it down eventually. It’s thus custom-built its first System on a Chip (SoC) for Pixel phones, gearing up to take on Apple and Samsung.
The all-new chip, called ‘Tensor’, will first power the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro heading for launch this fall, Google announced on Monday. Years in development, it aims to not only make the Pixel “even more capable,” but also finally introduce features, personalization, flexibility, and capabilities Google has always dreamed of but had been limited by existing technology.
Image via Google
For one, it means a more powerful security core that—coupled with Titan M2—gives Pixel 6 “the most layers of hardware security in any phone,” potentially rattling the iPhone’s advantage in security.
“What we’ve built is a mobile AI computer,” Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Google, told Insider. He added that “hardware limitations, system computing limitations” were in the way each time the company pushed to make the Google smartphone better. “[That has] prevented us from innovating even further with [artificial intelligence] and [machine learning] on device.”
Already paving the way in the realms of photography and speech recognition, Google aspires to make its best AI qualities shine through the Pixel 6’s camera and language translation skills. Insider reported that Osterloh demonstrated Tensor’s ability to capture sharp photographs from moving images, such as a scene of a toddler playing. A French-language video was also translated and captioned in English in real-time, while the video was playing.
Google additionally shared that Tensor would make UI features move more fluidly in an “incredibly natural” way. This is evident with ‘Material You’, the new design language that allows users to overhaul their phones’ entire visual system.
Video via Google
“You’ll see [Tensor] in everything from the completely revamped camera system to speech recognition and much more,” Google teased in its blog post. “So whether you’re trying to capture that family photo when your kids won’t stand still, or communicate with a relative in another language, Pixel will be there — and it will be more helpful than ever.”
Image via Google
[via Insider, images via Google]
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